(TWST Idia/Cater) so i'll dance with Cinderella

An Invitation to ... Something? Something ... Fest?

"Wow, you're getting absolutely demolished," Cater observed from behind Idia's gaming chair.

Despite Idia having felt more comfortable around Cater during their "date," Idia's personality wasn't so elastic where he could just drop his nervousness and act like um ... a normal person(?) around Cater, even though he was slowly getting used to him. He had to be, considering the Heartslabyul student was wont now to unceremoniously barge into his room with baked goods.

Anyway, what Cater had said was true, he was getting demolished in this round of Some Game 7. He couldn't really be held accountable, though, because it was his party's healer's fault for not keeping him alive as he kept tanking hit after hit.

Obviously.

"Idia always forgets how to dodge when you're here," Ortho helpfully noted as he hovered toward the door.

Idia was doing a good job of acting composed, but Ortho's words dyed his face scarlet as Cater laughed and asked, "Going somewhere, Ortho?"

Ortho nodded. "Yep! I just realized I should probably go on my daily hover now, so I'll leave you two alone."

As he closed the door behind him, Cater tapped his chin and said, "Funny how he always realizes that when I'm around." His eyes widened. "O-M-G, Idia, does your little brother not like me?"

"I—I'm sure that's not it," said Idia, frowning when he once again failed to dodge a very-well-telegraphed hit from a common mob. "Maybe some of his software needs updating." This was impossible as he'd just upgraded Ortho yesterday, but he didn't know anything else that would mollify Cater.

"Hmm ... well, hopefully, he's all good. Anyway, let me know when you're done with your game, 'kay? I've got something to show you. And it's not this basket of bell pepper and spinach stromboli that Trey demanded I give you, although you're welcome to that too." Leaving the fragrant basket of food on Idia's desk, Cater sat on the bed, leaned back, stretched out his legs, and furiously began scrolling through his MagiCam feed, looking as comfortable as if he'd been in his own bedroom.

Conscious that Cater was waiting for him, Idia let his character die and quickly closed out of the game (not before making some passive-aggressive remarks about people who played healers). He sighed. That loss was definitely going to cost him his ranking in Some Game 7's admittedly mediocre PvP mode, but he couldn't let Cater just sit there, could he?

Idia was amazed at himself. A month ago, he probably would have just sunk lower in his chair and nervously played on, hoping that Cater would get bored or remember something else he had to go do, and leave Idia's socially-anxious soul in peace. But look at him now—voluntarily cutting a game short! Oh, gods, who was he?

"I'm done," Idia announced, swiveling to Cater, who he was surprised to see had made himself home on his bed. "Um, what was it you wanted to show me?"

Cater looked up at him, beaming. "Right! Okay, so my sister accidentally had one of her Wonderzon orders delivered here a while ago, and she told me not to bother to send it back since they sent her replacements." He pulled two small bottles out of his pocket. One bottle was a deep azure and the other a stately black.

Idia cocked his head. He recognized those bottles. But he couldn't understand why Cater had wanted to show him them. "... Nail polish?"

"Yep! Look, they match your hair. Not sure why my sister ordered these colors T-B-H, since she only buys things that 'bespeak cute,' but hey!" Cater shrugged waved the bottles temptingly. "Sooo ... want me to paint your nails?"

Was he supposed to refuse that? When Cater Diamond asked him to do anything, was he supposed to refuse? Lel. He couldn't think of a good reason to say "no," anyway. Painted fingernails didn't really get in the way of him gaming or programming.